Addressing Poverty in Practice

“In order for people to count, you need to count people.” Births need to be registered, visits to health facilities need to be recorded, progress through school needs to be monitored. This is not the case in low income countries, particularly in fragile and conflict-affected states. ​​To contribute to a better data collection, analysis and use, Development Initiatives developed their own approach called data landscaping. Its covers the political economy of data within a country; the structures and standards that govern the collection, the use of data, and much more. Every country has its own unique political economy, but that is not to say there are not many similarities. This report is the first attempt at mapping out this common ground at the national level and sharing revealing findings on what needs to be in place for people to be counted so they start counting.

Data, which are growing at an unprecedented rate, are becoming an integral part of the daily lives of most people everywhere. But how does that matter for the more than 700 million people living in extreme poverty? According to this report by the World Bank, data can improve social and economic outcomes. But only if they are used systematically in ways that create information that generates insights that improve lives.​​ The report aims to answer two fundamental questions. First, how can data better advance development objectives? Second, what kind of data governance arrangements are needed to use data in a safe, ethical, and secure way while also delivering value equitably?

Achieving the SDGs requires that progress and lags are being effectively monitored and reported. Monitoring and reporting can pinpoint where meeting the goals is on track, where progress is uneven, and where new approaches are needed. Existing official statistics are not enough to meet these monitoring and reporting needs. To fill the gap, alternative data sources, can complement official statistics to meet the SDG data challenge and ensure that no one is left behind. This joint learning report with Partners for Review (hosted by GIZ), the Danish Institute for Human Rights and the International Civil Society Centre summarises the initial experience and learnings generated by the SDG Data Partnerships initiative, which aims to support an enabling environment for inclusive collaborations.

The World Bank’s Poverty and Shared Prosperity series provides the latest estimates and trends in global poverty and shared prosperity. The 2022 edition provides the first comprehensive look at the landscape of poverty in the aftermath of an extraordinary series of shocks to the global economy. Global progress in reducing extreme poverty has virtually come to a halt. After COVID-19 dealt the biggest setback to global poverty in decades, rising food and energy prices—fueled by climate shocks and conflict among the world’s biggest food producers—have hindered a swift recovery. The report analyses how fiscal policy was used in the first year of the pandemic to support the most vulnerable groups. It also sheds light on the impact of taxes, transfers, and subsidies on poverty and inequality in 94 countries before 2020, providing important new insights into the impacts of fiscal policy not only during crises but also during normal conditions. The report identifies how governments can optimize fiscal policy to help correct course.

This factsheet (updated in February 2023) provides an overview of poverty trends at global, regional and national levels. It unpacks the terminology used to describe poverty and explains how it is measured. Measuring poverty is vital because it supports action to improve the lives of people currently living in poverty and those at risk of experiencing poverty in the future. It provides the information required to support better decision-making, influence policy outcomes and increase accountability.

Indicators matter in achieving the international commitments of the Agenda 2030 to “leave no one behind” (LNOB-Principle) in the fight against poverty (SDG 1), and in reducing inequality (SDG 10). As quantitative or qualitative variables, indicators provide a simple and reliable way to measure the achievements of development efforts. They can therefore show and track whether aid spending is reaching the poor and the left-behind groups in various contexts. What is measured is more likely to get addressed, because indicators provide a solid basis for evidence-based decision-making in development projects as well as in politics.